


Tenebris' Shadow

by FallenCedric



Series: The Multiverse [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Assassins, F/M, Medieval Futuristic, Multiverse, Non-Sexual Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-05-01 19:20:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14527404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenCedric/pseuds/FallenCedric
Summary: Switches to Renee's perspective and she argues with her father





	1. Prologue

The kingdom of Tenebris stood proudly after hundreds of years. Built during a time of war, Tenebris had defense and sieges in mind when it was constructed. The steep walls surrounded the majority of the city and had seven towers outlaying the walls. The walls were built with no crevices to prevent cracks and breaking off when under siege. They were slanted slightly outwards to prevent siege towers and ladders from being effective. The towers outlaying the walls were pocketed with archery holes along the hidden stairway and ballistics at the top.

Although the walls appeared ready for war and sieges, there had been peace for nearly a century. Inside the walls, everyone was merry and prospering. Fear of war had disappeared over the years. In the center of Tenebris stood the castle and a stadium for tournaments and entertainment. A ring of houses and businesses surrounded the castle; these belonged to the nobles and several residents in the middle class. Another wall, smaller than the outer wall surrounded these houses. Several gates lead out to the outer ring, where the majority of the middle class and lower class lived. There were a few marketplaces throughout the outer ring. 

Almost five years ago, Gambit Rogers arrived in Tenebris. Working as a mercenary for a couple years, the citizens of Tenebris had given him the name of Tenebris' Shadow; although nobody knew who he actually was or the real identity of Tenebris' Shadow. Once he had the money to open a shop, Gambit sheathed his sword and started weaponsmithing. Within a few years, everyone in the kingdom and in the kingdoms scattering the land knew his name as a master weaponsmith. He was known for crafting melee weapons by hand with such skill that the machines normal smiths used were pointless to him. The guns and weapons that were powered by energy emitted from a natural blue resource called Esoteric, Gambit couldn't craft by hand and used the machines to harness and store the energy in the weapons.

Aside from customers, Gambit kept to himself. He had only one friend in the entire kingdom of Tenebris, Darian Soto. Darian was the merchant side of Gambit's business and the only person Gambit could call a friend. Gambit was a magnificent weaponsmith, but his people skills were almost non-existent. People talked of how he was an asshole, rude, and heartless. His words were short, blunt, and almost always cutting as the weapons he makes. Still, he was invited to parties and treated like the noble class, despite being the middle-class citizen. 

Word of rebellion and war filled the streets, which gave Gambit a lot of business. He spent most of his days in the forge and in his workshop crafting numerous weapons. Kingdoms were preparing for war, warriors were searching for weapons that would keep them alive. Gambit worked tirelessly and didn't stop from dawn to dusk. Word spread that even the assassin guild hidden away was preparing for war.


	2. The Party

The sky outside was partly cloudy, taking away some of the usual heat of summer. The clouds didn't matter to Gambit; even with the cold breeze, he was standing shirtless covered in sweat. He had been at the forge all day, the fire blazing so much that he might as well have been standing in the middle of the desert on the hottest day of the year. His arm swung down, hammering the last little bit of metal into shape. The sword he was making was almost done, but the breeze was making it a little harder to work as it cooled down the surface of the metal. After a few more swings, Gambit ducked the metal into a trough of water, the steam temperally blinding him. He looked out towards the street watching the same people walk by. He didn't know why he always analyzed everyone, they were the same people who walked by every day for the last five years.

Gambit pulled the sword out of the water and carried it to the grindstone to sharpen it. Most people laughed at him for using the forge instead of the Esoteric machines. Except his weapons were always sought out as there weren't many that compared to his skill. He did have the Esoteric machines in his workshop, but he enjoyed doing the work himself, saving the machines for the stuff he couldn't do by hand. Gambit was happy to call Tenebris his second home as it was one of the busiest kingdoms because most merchants decided to do their business here.

Gambit placed the sword into it's sheath when it was to the sharpness he was known for. He placed it on the weapon rack set aside for his customer orders. Pouring the water trough into the fire, he closed the forge. Gambit walked back inside his house, heading towards his workshop. He sat down and started to work on his own armor. Hours passed as he finetuned the mechanisms and Esoteric secrets. Once he finished, he went upstairs to change, bringing his armor with him. He got dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a long sleeve red shirt. On top of his clothes, he put on his armor. With the press of a button on his wrist, the armor slid together until it closed on itself; the Esoteric powering the mechanisms and hiding his armor. Now he appeared normal as the armor was stored within his wristbands, bands on his ankles, and a plate of metal on his back. He had designed it to look like the bands were jewelry and the back plate appeared to be part of his shirt.

He smiled as he strapped his sword to his back. He also strapped his belt on before heading downstairs again. A knock on his front door stopped Gambit as he walked past it and he answered it. Standing outside was a tall, middle-aged man. The man was wearing the soldier's armor and had short black hair. "Ah, Mr. Baxter. I'm glad you're here; I finished your sword this afternoon. You can step inside while I go grab it from the forge."

Mr. Baxter nodded and stepped inside as Gambit turned away from the door. Gambit heard the front door close as he walked back to the forge and grabbed the sword from the weapon rack. Walking back to Mr. Baxter, Gambit held the sword with two hands before handing it over to him. Gambit stood with his arms crossed as Mr. Baxter unsheathed the sword a little and examined it. "Beautiful work, Gambit. It's perfectly balanced, one-and-a-half hands. I don't see any imperfections which is already expected with your work. Beautiful crossguard and I love how you incorporated my family crest in it. Thank you. With the rumors of war, you must be very busy making weapons, and I'm glad I was able to get one of your swords."

"I have been busier than usual, but it's not a problem. Just remember, it is one of my swords, so as long as you care for it properly it will take care of you in any battle. The payment?" Mr. Baxter handed him a coin pouch and Gambit could tell by the weight that it was the right amount. He opened it and made sure it was all coins. They said farewell and Gambit closed the door behind Mr. Baxter. Gambit sat down in his workshop again and started to take apart his Esoteric pistols. He had already modified them as much as he could and now he was making sure every peice was still intact. His hands worked with familiarity of the weapons and within minutes he had disassembled, examined, and reassembled the pistols. His front door opened and someone called out. "Hey, Gambit! You home?"

"Yeah, Darian! I'm in the workshop!" Gambit placed his pistols in their holsters and stood up to strap them to his thighs. He finished strapping them on when Darian walked into the shop.

"Why am I not surprised you're in here? That's right! You're always walking. You realize the nobles are hosting a party? You're coming, right?"

Gambit looked at him like he was an idiot. "You think I didn't get an invitation? I may be middle class but everyone treats me like I'm a nobleman. What makes you think I want to go?"

Darian laughed, running a hand back through his short brown hair. "You know you enjoy the parties I drap you to. Besides, think of all the beautiful women who will be there."

Gambit shook his head and stepped around Darian. "I don't have time for women. You know I'm always busy smithing. And I'm sure most of the women you've already taken to bed."

Darian followed him into the living room, only a few steps behind Gambit. "True, but you're right. You're always working! You need to learn to have some fun. Who knows you might meet a lady who could get you to stop working all the time. Please, Gambit, come with me to the party." Darian put his hands in a begging position.

"Fine! But I'm only going for the food. I forgot to buy some today."

Darian smiled. "Yes! Now, go change into a nice suit. There are beautiful women to woe and conquer."

Gambit stared at him with a mean glare as he walked up the stairs. "Don't ever say that again. Unless you want me to use your chest as a cooling trough.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

An hour later Gambit and Darian walked through the doors of the nobleman's house. Immediately, Gambit wanted to leave. The place was crowded with people and that was not a position Gambit liked. He looked around and easily found the food table. He made his way there to grab a plate of food. Darian laughed before finding his own destination and leaving Gambit to eat. Gambit eagerly started to fill a plate with food, surveying the crowd around him. Someone behind him asked, "Aren't you Gambit Rogers?"

Gambit turned around. "Maybe. Who's asking?" He shoved a cheese square into his mouth and stared at the guy as he chewed.

"My name is Haden. I am an admirer of your work. Everything I've seen done by you is absolutely breathtaking. I'm actually trying to become an apprentice to learn the trade. I'm wondering if you're willing to take me as an apprentice."

Gambit swallowed his mouth of food. "Nope. My work is far too complicated. Also you are too scrawny, wouldn't be able to make anything to my standards. Besides, I don't teach. Last time I taught anything, there was a terrible accident. Also the parents couldn't understand how their kids came home butt naked and with a few broken fingers. I told them that their kids couldn't write the word 'cat'."

Haden swallowed a lump in his throat, turned and walked away. Gambit shrugged as he turned around again, continuing to eat. He spotted Darian flirting with four girls at once. Gambit shook his head and continued to look around. Suddenly, a woman caught his eye, which surprised Gambit as it was the first time since Selene. He shook his head and watched the woman. She walked tall and proud as if she was royalty, her blonde hair falling in waves behind her back to mid-shoulder blade. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress with gold embroidery shaped as flower petals. The shape of it clung to her body, revealing every curve of her body.

"That's a new, yet familiar look. Who are you analyzing with... is that desire?" Darian asked, now standing a few feet to the left of Gambit.

"Blonde, blue and gold dress. She stands as if she's royalty." Gambit stated blankly, throwing a few squares of ham and cheese in his mouth.

"Ah, so Gambit has a thing for blondes?" Darian said as he turned to find the woman Gambit described.

"Actually, my last girlfriend was a bruntette. The one before her was a very feisty red head." The woman stopped walking in order to talk to some nobles. Darian suddenly turned to face Gambit.

"Buddy, take my advice now. Forget her, you stand no chance with her. The reason she stands like she's royalty is because she is Princess Renee. As a middle classman you won't be able to be with her."

Gambit shrugged. "Oh, well. She is beautiful though." He set his plate down. "I'm bored. I think I'm going to go home."

Darian stopped him from turning around. Gambit gave him a warning glare but Darian ignored it. "Gambit, you've been here about fifteen minutes. Trust me, it's going to get better soon. I promise."

Gambit nodded. "Yeah, you say that at every party. They never do. I'm going home."

He turned around and started to navigate his way to the exit. "Hey, Gambit! Is that a new style you're trying or a new project?"

Gambit huffed in annoyance. The voice belonged to a stuck-up nobleman's son who thought the world revolved around him. Jayden Price was currently mocking the concealed armor Gambit was wearing. He always had some reason to mock or poke fun of Gambit. Gambit really wanted to personally show him how easy it was to break someone's neck. And he wanted to demonstrate it on Jayden. Jayden walked over to him, head held high, his shaggy black hair falling below his ears. His dull green eyes focused on Gambit. He was a few inches taller and a lot scrawnier than Gambit. When Jayden got within earshot, Gambit answered his question. "It's a light weight concealing armor suit, dumbass. It doesn't seem like much but it'll save my life if needed."

Jayden held a hand up. "Wait, did you just call me a dumbass?" He looked around him at his little posse of three with a look of surprise.

Gambit crossed his arms. "Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it, twig? I can unholster both pistols, switch them to paralyze, and shoot all four of you before you land a single punch, Jayden. Do you want to test me? I won't harm any of you, just paralyze you for five minutes, theorically. I haven't actually had a chance to fully test it. Maybe it'll work in everyone's favor and permanently paralyze your tongue."

Jayden took a few steps back, hands up in defense. "I'm good. No need to ruin a party like that. We can save it for the tournament. You're joining it, right?"

Gambit looked at him blankly. "What tournament?"

Jayden waved his hand as if Gambit was kidding. "You know, the tournament to become the personal escort for the princess on her trips to Adrain and the other kingdoms. Oh, wait, you don't know cause the noblemen learned it two days ago before the rest of the kingdom. And everyone knows you aren't a noble." He laughed as he started to walk away. One of his posse, who Gambit nicknamed Bulldog, tried to scare Gambit by puffing his chest and getting in Gambit's face.

Gambit smiled a little. "I win." He looked down at his hand and Bulldog followed his gaze. Gambit had already pulled his Esoteric pistol out and had it pointed at Bulldog's crotch. Just as quickly Gambit holstered the pistol.

Bulldog stepped around Gambit and Gambit watched him follow Jayden. Gambit could see Bulldog's pants darken as he pissed himself from the scare Gambit gave him. Gambit chuckled to himself as he left the party.


	3. A Foot in the Door

A week and a half passed since the party and Jayden had told the truth. The king was hosting a tournament to decide upon a personal escort for Princess Renee. The king had set a deadline of two weeks to enter the tournament. Not much was known about the tournament except there was three months of training beforehand and then then the tournament would take place in the arena. Gambit had already decided not to join, but Darion had other ideas. The last week and a half Darion had pestered Gambit about joining. He had already seen his fair share of fights and battles, he didn't really want to add to it. Yet a part of hm still yearned for it, to swing a sword again insead of a hammer.

"Gambit, Jayden has personally challenged you and he said in the tournament. You can finally get him to shut up. You can close the forge during the training and while you're the escort. It'll still be here once you're done. I want to see you in this tournament."

Gambit shook his head as he looked over the circuits on his workbench. "I can't close the shop; there's too many customers depending on me. I shouldn't join the tournament; something will happen and I'm unsure if it's good or bad."

"Buddy, I feel like this tournament would be good for you. Besides, once you win, you'll be around Princess Renee almost all the time. And you really need to get out of the forge and workshop. You've spent almost five years engrossed in it. Even after you shower you smell like the forge."

Gambit dropped his tools and held his hands up in surrender. "Fine! I'll join this stupid tournament!"

Darion cheered and then lead Gambit to the arena where guards were posted for the tournament sign ups. Gambit stopped a few feet from the guards as Jayden stepped out from the shadows. "So, Gambit finally comes to sign up. Cutting it a little close, bud, with the deadline in two days."

Gambit shook his head, holding the bridge of his nose. "Please don't tell me you've been standing there for a week and a half waiting for me to show up."

Jayden looked surprised before answering defensively. "No. Only an idiot would wait here for that long."

Gambit smiled slightly. "You were. I can tell by the tone of your voice." Gambit turned to the guards and spoke to one who looked extremely tired. "I would like to join the tournament."

"Name and occupation?" the guard asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Gambit could see Jayden walking away with his head down a little bit.

"Gambit Rogers, weaponsmith."

"Do you have any experience with any type of weapon?" the other guard asked.

Gambit looked at Darion with as if to say these guys are idiots. "Yes, every weapon as you know I'm a weaponsmith. And yes, I have my own gear."

"Alright." said the first guard. "You must be at these gates by eight in the morning in two days or you're automatically disqualified."

"Understood." Gambit turned around and headed back to his house with Darion.

Gambit could tell Darion was smiling as they walked. "You better win. I've already made bets that you will."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Gambit spent packing and going over all his gear. All his battlegear was packed and he just packed a bunch of clothes. He set everything by the front door except his armor and weapons. He went to bed early so he would be on time to get to the arena. He was restless though, spending the entire night tossing and turning, drifting in and out of sleep.

The sun started to rise around six when Gambit finally gave up on getting any good sleep. He swung his legs out of bed, stretching his arms and back out. There was a slight pop as a couple of his vertibraes popped. Yawning, Gambit stood up before walking to the bathroom to take a hot shower. Once he was done in the shower, he got dressed in tight jeans and a tight long sleeve blue shirt. Despite the fact the clothes were tight against his body, they didn't prohibit any movement as he ran, jumped or swung a sword.

He put on his armor and pressed the button to expand it, making sure it still worked after the night. Satisfied, he hid his armor again before strapping on his weapons. A hand and a half sword was strapped to his back, his Esoteric pistols on his thighs, and his belt of custom throwing knives was strapped around his waist. He grabbed the rest of his stuff and walked to the arena. The guards asked him his name and occupation again, checking him off the list when he replied. One of them opened the gates and allowed him to step inside.

As soon as he walked into the dirt filled arena, Jayden's voice filled the air. "Ah, finally, Gambit arrives! I've been wondering if you would actually show up, my friend."

Everyone in the arena looked over at him, whispering to each other. Gambit heard some of them question if it was really him. Jayden walked up towards Gambit. "Jayden, we are not friends; we both know we strongly dislike each other. So, don't lie and cut the bullshit."

Jayden's face turned into a scowl. "I don't dislike you, Gambit. I admire your work. Maybe when I win this, I'll come by and get some new armor and a sword."

Gambit laughed. "We'll see if you win. As for the armor and sword, I serve only the worthy and the ones willing to pay. Besides, I don't serve cocky, self-obsessed, ignorant bastards like yourself."

Jayden's body language turned angry. His brows furrowed into a deep scowl. "Why you insolent fool!" He drew his sword swinging it towards Gambit's chest. Gambit took two steps back out of reach and unsheathed his own sword. Everyone in the arena watched them with curiousity. By appearance, Gambit was outmatched. Jayden was fully dressed in armor, a few inches taller than Gambit, and was a duelist. Gambit looked like he had no armor and was only known as a weaponsmith.

Someone called out. "Jayden, you can't randomly attack him! You could kill him; at least let him put on his armor first!"

"No! This fool must get some scars for his insult!" He swung again, this time going high for Gambit's head. Gambit batted his sword away in a blink of an eye, and Jayden took a few steps back form the force. Gambit spun his sword in circles to his side as he widened his stance. He pressed the button on his wrist and everyone gasped as his armor started to slide into place. Even Jayden cocked his head to the side in surprise. Gambit felt great; it's been years since he had this adrenile rush and desire to cross swords with someone. Memories flooded his mind, how it felt to cut down everyone who crossed blades with him. Then he remembered why he stopped, his rampage ended the mantle of Tenebris' Shadow. 

"I see Jayden has already started a duel. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for that. Please sheath your swords." A commanding voice filled the stadium, pulling Gambit out of his thoughts. Gambit looked to his right to see a man standing along the first row of seats. Standing next to him was Princess Renee, which meant the man was the king. A man to the left of the king stood holding a clipboard. Everyone bowed instantly except for Gambit and Jayden. They both sheathed their swords and bowed. The king laughed. "There's no need for that, please stand. This isn't a formal setting and I wish to speak to all of you as people, not my subjects."

Everyone rose as the king continued. "Welcome, contestants. You've all signed up for this tournament; now I explain what you've signed up for. Princess Renee will begin traveling to several kingdoms in a few months. It's necessary for her to have a personal escort along with the royal guard. The position will go to the champion of the tournament. First, we must put you through training. All of you may be skilled with weapons, but it takes more than the skill of a warrior to be a guardian. So for the next three months we will be training and testing you. There will be three main tests; if you fail, you will be dismissed from the tournament."

All the contestants started looking at each other and murmuring to each other. Gambit could see all of them thinking more. The king continued again, silencing everyone. "During the months of training, you are allowed to challenge anyone to a duel. There aren't any rules for the duels; fairness is out of the question as everything will be watched and you will be judged based on your performance and how you deal with different scenerios. If you lose a duel you are not automatically eliminated. We will analyze the duel and then it will be decided if you stay or not. Any questions?"

Nobody said anything and the king nodded. Gambit looked at Princess Renee and they made eye contact for a second. It had appeared that she might have been watching him, except she couldn't see much as his cowl had covered most of his head and the face mask had covered his face. She turned away from Gambit and started scanning everyone. Gambit's hands started to fidget. For years, he hadn't dealt in anything like this. He had stayed away from everything that could reveal his past. He was nervous now, wondering if this tournament will reveal who he is. He thought back to his training and settled his nerves. 

"I thought maybe Tenebris' Shadow would have shown up." Someone said, drawing Gambit away from his thoughts. He realized everyone was walking towards the tunnels in the arena walls. He picked up his stuff, heart beating faster at the mention of Tenebris' Shadow.

"Are you crazy, Gideon? Of course he wouldn't show. He's been gone for a couple years now. Also he would be put to death if he revealed himself. If someone signed up saying he was the Shadow of Tenebris, then we would be attending an execution today instead of being here." Someone else said.

"Hey! Tenebris' Shadow could be a woman. We don't know. The Shadow only went after men, for all we know, it's a woman with a vendeta against men." A woman walking about ten feet from Gambit argued. Gambit pressed his armor button and looked over the woman. She wore a cloak, hiding most of her. He could only see a few locks of black hair falling out of the cloak hood. She wore a rapier on her hip and Gambit could tell by the way she walked that she would be a formidable opponent in battle. She turned to look at him and Gambit watched her green eyes look him over as if he was a piece of meat.

"You're the Gambit Rogers, aren't you?" she asked. He nodded. "You don't seem like much. I thought you would be older and I don't know, more intimidating. Especially after what everyone says about you."

"Then you will learn how intimidating I can be by the time this tournament is over. Everyone learns eventually." He turned away from her and watched everyone else. She laughed.

"I'm not scared of anyone except the Shadow. That maniac is a legend, but not someone I would like to meet face-to-face. Not after last time."

Gambit's heart skipped a beat. "You've seen Tenebris' Shadow? Nobody has seen him and lived."

They stopped walking and turned to each other. "I've only seen the Shadow once. It was three years ago and they took down a group of gang members. I was down the street and hid somewhere I could watch. I've never seen anyone move that fast and percise."

Gambit nodded. "I'm not scared of him. He has never posed as a threat to me."

She laughed at hime. "Then you must not have heard all the stories."

Gambit nodded again as they walked into the barracks. "I've heard all of them. Now he's just a story to scare kids into behaving." He turned away from her and went to find a bunk. He walked around and couldn't find one he liked. As everyone claimed a spot and started to settle in, Gambit found a little alcove hidden in the shadows of the barracks. It was about seven feet off the ground and built into the wall. Gambit tossed his stuff into it before taking a few steps back. With a small spurt of speed, he ran up the wall and stepped into the alcove.

The roof was now only a few inches above his head, but he was hidden away from everyone. He moved his stuff as far from the ledge as he could. When he sat down he was hidden from everyone else but could hear and see them. He removed his sword form his back and set it in his lap. He sat there controlling his breathing. He was getting paranoid that someone will now figure out his past or piece together the signs and learn even more. Gambit saw Jayden walk past the alcove, muttering to himself. "Where is that idiot Gambit?"

Gambit sighed as he stood. Swinging his sword over his shoulder, he quietly walked to the ledge and dropped to the ground. Stepping out into the open, he cleared his throat. "Behind you, dumbass!"

Jayden turned around so fast Gambit thought he would get whiplash. Jayden hadn't settled in yet and still wore his armor. Gambit crossed his arms and watched Jayden. Jayden stared at him with a new curiousity, realizing that Gambit's mentality changed and wasn't the guy he always bullied. Gambit wasn't just the famous unorthodox weaponsmith anymore. He could tell Jayden saw that Gambit wasn't the person he thought he was. Gambit smiled at him slyly as the thought crossed his mind, I am one of the deadliest people in the kingdom of Tenebris. 

"We have unfinished business, riff raff." Jayden said, gripping his sword handle. "But I want to know who you are before I get you eliminated."

Gambit laughed at him. "I'm a weaponsmith. What else is there to know?"

Jayden stared at him, bewilderment in his eyes. "We both know that's not completely true. You batted my sword away like it was a pesky fly. So tell me, who are you and wy did you join this tournament? It seems like you enjoyed being a weaponsmith, doesn't seem like you would want to become an escort."

"I was convinced to knock that priveledged, mighter than you smirk off your face." Gambit said. "Why did you join?"

Jayden smiled. "I joined to win it. Once I do, I'll be able to get close to Princess Renee and win her heart. Then marry her with her father's permission after I escort her safely on her trip."

Gambit stood there keeping his composure. Before they started another fight, they were all called to the arena. They all walked back; Jayden and Gambit exchanging dirty looks the entire way.


	4. Speaking to the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Switches to Renee's perspective and she argues with her father

Renee stood in front of her father. “Father, I’ve told you before, setting up these meetings and speaking of alliances won’t help. War is inevitable now, there’s no reason to try to prevent it.”

He nodded at her. She had become wise beyond her years, his years even. The king had always looked towards her as an advisor, but sometimes he had to remind himself that she was also his daughter and didn’t have as near of experience as he did with running a kingdom and the requirements and risks it had. “Renee, I understand there is no chance of preventing the war. You are going to the other kingdoms to gain favor so we don’t lose the war. It also gives you experience for when you’re the queen.”

Renee huffed and crossed her arms. “But to host a tournament to win the position to be a personal escort? This is just a waste of time. If it’s that important for me to travel to the kingdoms, why not just send me with the royal guard?”

She shifted her weight to her left foot as the tournament official walked up to the king. The official handed the king the clipboard he carried and the king looked through it. Renee could see his finger running down the papers and suddenly he stopped. Renee grew curious as a look of surprise appeared on his face. But before she could say anything, the king acted like nothing happened. He took a pen and wrote on several of the pages. Returning the clipboard, he turned his attention back to Renee. “Sweet daughter, there is more happening than you know right now. Sadly, I can’t explain everything to you, but in time it will all make sense. The royal guard is not enough for something like this and with the war approaching I need to make sure someone suitable will be assigned to guard you with their life. Besides, this tournament will be interesting and fun to watch, especially after I saw the list of contestants.”

Renee grunted angrily and left, heading towards the arena. She believed the tournament was a waste of time, but she wanted to see what had her father so convinced to host it. He was so intrigued by it and she couldn’t understand why. The gods have always kept her safe and guided her over the years. She didn’t need a mortal man or woman to watch her when the gods and goddesses were always watching her. Her father had raised her to be an independent queen, he pushed her to never need anyone by her side, so why was he pushing it now.

She stopped walking when she realized she was in the arena. She had stopped about halfway down the seats and looked into the arena. The contestants were running through an obstacle course; some were wearing full suits of armor, while others had stripped down to just pants. Renee watched with curiosity, until one person caught her eye. He was in full armor with a cowl instead of a helmet, and it was unlike any suit of armor she had seen before. He stood arguing with Jayden Price, who had tried to flirt with her several times. Jayden had his hand on his sword handle, while the other man had his hands near his pistols. The man seemed amused by Jayden and his body language said he wasn’t afraid of him. 

Renee realized it was the same man she was staring at earlier and she quickly looked away from him, heat rising to her face. Renee soon became bored of the men and women training, so she returned to the castle. As she walked back, she kept thinking about the man who had caught her eye twice now. There was something about him, she couldn’t figure out. She hadn’t really thought about any of the other contestants, but he kept crossing her mind. _What was it about that man?_ She thought. _Were the gods trying to tell her something?_


	5. The Priestess

The first week was slow for Gambit. He had become a ghost most of the time, nobody really paid him much attention during the training and classes. But he could still feel the eyes on him. He knew the officials were watching all of them and he could feel Jayden staring daggers at him sometimes. Gambit was currently sitting in the back of the room as one of the officials were informing the contestants on the various strategies to resolve conflicts. Gambit leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms and ran through the routine to create a broadsword in his mind.

“Mr. Rogers! It appears I am boring you. Would you like me to run you through a scenario? If you fail to give me an appropriate response, I will have you disqualified.”

Gambit stared at the official and yawned. “Why not? You’ve already bored me to death. Give me a scenario.”

“Bandits have infiltrated the castle. You need to escort Princess Renee out of the castle and to the stables. You are in the throne room.” The official crossed his arms and smirked at Gambit. “And you’re not allowed to leave the princess’ side.”

“Well, that takes out the option of hiding the princess and go kill all the bandits.” Gambit sat up in his seat and thought for a few seconds. “I would move the painting of the king from the wall and use the hidden hallways behind it. Navigating them are easier than trying to find my way around the castle while hiding from the bandits.” Everyone’s jaws dropped as Gambit continued with a smile on his face. “I would exit the hallways in the kitchen and make my way to the stables as they aren’t too far from each other. There’s no bloodshed and we weren’t seen. The princess escapes before the bandits even know we’re out of the throne room.”

The official stared at Gambit dumbfounded. “How does a middle class weaponsmith know about the servant’s passageways that only the servants and royal family know about?”

“Let’s say I had an uncommon and extensive education. Everything we have dealt with this week is old knowledge to me. I have learned all of this before the age of eight.” He stood up. “Now, if you don’t mind, I got better things to do than sit here listening to you babble.”

He walked past everyone and left the room. The door closed behind him with a bang and he walked towards the armory. He needed to busy himself and he was going crazy without his hands working on something. He wanted to work on his armor. As he walked, he passed an open door where he heard talking. Gambit looked inside and saw several people praying. Gambit decided to walk inside and take a look around.

“Hello, is there anything you need?” A female priest asked as she walked up to Gambit.

Gambit shook his head as he looked her over. She was dressed in the typical robes for a priestess of Nybum, the goddess of water. Her light brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. “I just came to see what this place is.”

She nodded. “It’s a room of prayer to some of the gods. Idon, Nybum, Kereus, and Una are the ones most come to pray to. Contestants in traditional tournaments and games pray to Bellarib. The other gods don’t have a shrine in here.”

Gambit nodded understanding and looked around at the shrines placed in alcoves around the room. “So you don’t have a shrine to my goddess. Though I didn’t expect you to.”

“Which goddess are you referring to?” The priestess asked.

Gambit walked along the edge of the room and she followed a few steps behind him. “That doesn’t matter. She’s not a very favorable goddess. Most people don’t pray to her. Besides, most of the gods don’t like me.”

The priestess stopped and Gambit turned to face her. “Why don’t the gods like you? Have you upset them?”

Gambit smirked at her. “I’m known to be rude. I made the gods angry years ago. I sought their forgiveness but they have forsaken me. For a couple years, they decided to make my life miserable.”

She nodded. “You should perform a sacrifice, gain their favor again. Otherwise you will forever be forsaken.”

Gambit looked down at the ground. “Sadly, there’s only one way to gain their favor again. I failed when I tried and I’ve been dealing with it for years. Trust me, there’s nothing I can do. I pissed off Inyja.”

The priestess took a step back shocked. “You pissed off the goddess of love? The queen of the gods doesn’t take kindly to those who upset her.”

She reached forward and touched his wrist. She closed the distance between them, getting so close that her breasts grazed against Gambit’s chest. He could smell her perfume: a strange mixture of honey, cinnamon, and apple. “I might know a way to help you.”

Gambit laughed at her. “There’s nothing that could help me.” He stepped around her and left the shrine room without another word. As he walked to the barracks, the priestess kept coming to his mind.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gambit took a few steps back, avoiding the sword. It was the third duel he had been challenged to since the tournament started. Just as the previous two duels, it was simple for him. Evading the attacks and blocking strikes before striking for the win; he had been trained to handle more than these contestants gave him. He was having a difficult time with this duel. He couldn’t think straight and kept missing opportunities to end the duel. Every time he tried to focus on the duel, the priestess from earlier kept popping into his head.

Out of frustration, he pulled his pistol out and switched it to stun. He fired two shots, causing his opponent to hit the ground. Gambit placed his sword point under his opponent’s chin and held it for a few seconds before turning around, sheathing his sword and pistol. He marched into the tunnels and found his way back to the shrine room. “Where is she?” He yelled.

Everyone stopped praying and looked at him. One of the priests walked up to him. “Who are you looking for?”

“A priestess of Nybum. I talked to her earlier.”

The priest carefully looked at Gambit. “Oh, I see. You’re looking for Delanee. She tends to have this effect on people and she’s the only one able to reverse it. You’ll find her six rooms down the hall to your left, her door is on the right.”

Gambit stormed out of the room and went to the door the priest gave him. He banged on the door a few times and waited for Delanee to open the door. She didn’t even look surprised he was there. “I was wondering when you would show up. You resisted it longer than anyone else. Come in.”

She stepped to the side and let him step inside. The door closed behind him. Gambit grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall. “What did you do to me?” he growled.

She laughed at him. “It’s only a gift. I told you I might have a way to help you with your goddess problem.”

He growled at her again. “My goddess doesn’t have a problem with me; I still have her blessing.”

“But Inyja has a problem with you and I might be able to fix it. Besides you won’t be able to do anything until you finish what I started. If you don’t please Inyja then you will never gain the gods’ favor again.”

Gambit released her and took a few steps away from her. “You need to stay away from me! I have a tournament to win.” He reached for the door and started to open it.

“You think the last few hours were bad? It’s only going to get worse until you can’t do anything but think of me. You’ll only lose the tournament unless you succumb to the desire.”

Gambit closed the door again and turned back to her. “What did you do? Priests of Nybum can only gain her favor for safe travels over sea and good crops with plentiful rain. Nybum doesn’t have the domain for desire like this.”

She threw her head back laughing. “I’m a priestess of Nybum but I am also a blessed follower of Inyja and follow both of them. Besides how long can you continue to resist the desire?”

Gambit stared angrily at her. “I see now, love witch. That’s what’s been happening to me. But you’re not going to get what you want.”

Delanee smiled. “WHy do you think that? I always get what I want.”

Gambit stepped closer to her, standing a whole head taller than her. He looked unwavering into her emerald green eyes. She stared back into his eyes, a sly look in her eyes. Gambit smirked. “Priestess, you really underestimated me. Few people know the mixture of Rayi-Amans. I realize now that you use Rayi-Amans as a perfume and that’s what I smelled on you earlier. But those that know the mixture,” Gambit reached around her waist, his fingers slipping into the small pouch hidden underneath her belt. “They tend to keep Odaine petals on them in case they affect the wrong person.”

He pulled a petal from the pouch, slipping it into his mouth as she took a few steps back thinking he hadn’t grabbed one yet. Gambit let the petal dissolve on his tongue, allowing the petal to counteract the Rayi-Amans mixture. Delanee looked shocked. “Who are you really, Gambit? How does a weaponsmith know the secrets of the rare flower Rayi-Amans?”

Gambit swallowed the stem of the Odaine petal. “I told you, I am blessed by my goddess still. You had me going crazy for a long time; nobody has been able to get a drop on me like that for years. Nice try though, Delanee.” He turned to the door and left, heading back to his alcove in the barracks.


	6. The Shadow Returns

Two weeks had passed since Delanee had tried to entice Gambit. The weeks had been filled with classes and exercises. Many people had stopped challenging each other to duels as everyone realized where they stood on the food chain. Everyone had learned where their skill stood in comparison to everyone else. Gambit knew he stood near the top, yet he wasn’t using all of his skill. It was announced at breakfast that the first test was in three days and after the test, the contestants got to go home for a few days before returning to the tournament.

Gambit decided to dead to the arena at the end of breakfast to get some time alone to practice. As he walked through the tunnels, he was stopped by Jayden. Gambit cocked his head to the side, hearing a few pops as he did. “Morning, Jayden. What can I help you with this morning?”

“I want to knock you out of this tournament. You are making me look like a fool and you disrespect me. I am the son of a nobleman and you will respect me, even if I have to beat it into you.” Jayden stated. A few new people showed up behind Jayden and Gambit recognized them as contestants that were struggling with the training. Gambit gave a slight smile.

“I see you have a new posse. If you want me to respect you, I’m sorry. I don’t respect the scum of the earth or really anyone. I’ve dealt with so many challenges through my life that people have to earn my respect, no matter who your parents are. In Tenebris, the royal family and a select few have earned my respect.” Gambit stood where he was, even as he felt a knife touch the small of his back. They wanted him to go to the arena. Gambit realized why; they weren’t comfortable fighting in this tunnel. It wasn’t a large open space. Jayden walked up to Gambit popping his knuckles.

“You can either respect me or fear me, Gambit. Either way, you are below me.” He punched Gambit across the face. Gambit wiped his mouth as he turned back to Jayden. He spat a mouthful of blood at him and ducked under the punch that followed. Gambit used the momentum to swing his leg up, connecting his heel with Jayden’s jaw. His posse then moved towards Gambit. Within a few seconds, Gambit was surrounded by eight people and Jayden marked the ninth. Drawing his sword out of its sheath, Gambit laughed mockingly and took inventory of their weapons. He activated his armor and pressed another button, activating the energy shield on his left arm. His cowl and face mask covered his head at the moment Jayden decided to charge him. Two of his posse charged with him while three of them fired their energy pistols at Gambit. Gambit turned sideways as the energy bullets shot past him and then jumped into a backflip, dodging Jayden’s sword.

Gambit ducked under another sword to have one of his legs kicked out from under him. He swung his left arm over his body as his back hit the ground. His shield caught three swords, numbing his arm a little. He swung his sword wide, clearing space around him. Rolling sideways, he got his feet on the ground and stood. Instantly, he parried a few attacks and leapt into a complex series of attacks himself. He disarmed two of them before knocking them unconscious. He was a flash of movement to his right and turned to find a rapier blocking Jayden’s sword. The woman from the first day had joined the fight. “I had it covered!” Gambit growled at her.

Jayden stood there surprised. She replied, nonchalantly. “There’s nine of them and one of you. Thought I would join in, even the odds.”

Gambit turned towards her, blocking another sword as he did. “A fair fight is twenty men against me.” He spun around her, raising his shield to stop several bullets from hitting her. He leapt over a sword, flipping sideways as he did. He saw the woman’s rapier knock the sword away easily and cut a gash across the posse member’s cheek. 

Gambit landed on his left foot, drew a pistol and fired two rounds at two opponents. Their weapons fell out of their hands and clanged on the ground as Gambit holstered the pistol again, He spun his sword in a circle in front of him. Three bullets ricocheted off the blade and hit two more of the posse. The woman was stuck in combat with two of the posse and Jayden stared at Gambit. Gambit turned off his shield before throwing one of his knives from his belt without taking his eyes off of Jayden. Gambit knew he hit his mark when a sword clang on the floor followed by a guy screaming. The woman disarmed the last posse member before putting her sword to his throat.

She started to walk to Jayden but Gambit held up his hand. “I didn’t need your help with the nine of them; I definitely don’t need your help with this piece of trash. You’re welcome to watch me tear his pride apart if you wish.”

She laughed. “I’ll watch with pleasure as he has been a thorn in my side this entire time. But I do wish to join.”

“No, I have years to settle with him.” Gambit stated, walking towards Jayden. The woman sheathed her rapier.

Jayden started to walk backwards, trying to get away. “Jayden! How dare you run from a fight you started! You’ve asked for this for years! Don’t be a coward and back down now!” Gambit fired his pistol from his hip shooting the ground by Jayden’s feet.

“I already know I’ll lose. There’s no point in fighting you, Gambit.” Jayden held his hands up in defense, his sword still in his hand. Gambit growled angrily.

“How dare you not face me like a man, you coward! I’ve fought many battles I knew I would lose; I never backed down! You insolent coward! What would everyone think when I tell the entire kingdom how the great duelist Jayden Price ran from a duel with a middle class riff raff? That you ran like a dog with his tail between his legs. What would your so called beloved princess think of you? Everyone would know you are a bastard and a coward! Fight me, you stuck up self-absorbed fool!” Gambit was clearly pissed and he easily slipped into the persona of Tenebris’ Shadow. The mercenary took control and a fire burned within him after being dormant for so many years. He succeeded in pissing Jayden off and got the result he wanted. Jayden was now very upset after Gambit pressed the right buttons; Jayden’s weakness was his reputation and his pride. Gambit made him realize that running would ruin his reputation.

Jayden fumed in anger and Gambit’s smile was hidden under his face mask. Jayden leapt at Gambit, going into a series of attacks. Laughing mockingly, Gambit toyed with Jayden, dancing around the attacks and lazily blocking at times. WIth a quick jab at Jayden’s thigh, Gambit turned the tables. His sword cut the strap that held Jayden’s armor to his thigh. The armor slid down over Jayden’s knee, locking it in a straight position. Gambit swung upwards purposefully only touching Jayden’s chest. Sparks flew when the metal dragged together. Jayden limped backwards as Gambit took a few seconds to swing his sword in a figure eight. Swinging down Jayden’s left side, Gambit cut off the piece of armor that immobilized Jayden.

Jayden swung his sword high at Gambit’s head. Gambit ducked under the sword and slammed his sword pommel between the plates of armor protecting Jayden’s gut. Jayden stumbled back a few feet allowing Gambit to start a series of swings that he aimed perfectly. In the few seconds it took Jayden to catch his breath, Gambit had cut the straps of Jayden’s armor. Jayden looked down at his armor, surprise on his face as he saw he only had his chestplate and helm.

“The great duelist Jayden Price!” Gambit mockingly announced. “All these years, Jayden, mocking me! You want to marry the princess and protect her when you can’t even beat a riff raff like me? Can’t you tell I’ve been toying with you for years? That our entire duel here was just toying with you? I haven’t even used all my skill. And you thought you could beat me?”

“I was wrong, Gambit! I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you. You’re a better man than me.” Jayden was almost whimpering. “But I’m not going to walk away from this. Let’s finish this.”

Gambit nodded to him. “You’ve at least learned a lesson but this tournament is over for you.” Gambit unsheathed his dagger from the back of his waist and charged Jayden. Jayden charged towards Gambit and when they reached each other, Gambit ducked to the right. He slid his dagger between the plates of Jayden’s chest piece and cut the straps holding the plates together. When Gambit turned around, Jayden’s chestplate was lying in pieces on the ground. Jayden angrily swung downwards as if to split Gambit’s head in half. With all the strength Gambit could muster, he swung upwards to block. A shattering sound echoed through the tunnel as the shards of Jayden’s sword fell to the ground. Gambit quickly spun and his sword and dagger were at Jayden’s throat.

Jayden stared dumbfounded at the shards of his sword on the ground. Without a word, Gambit turned away from him and sheathed his sword and dagger. He turned back to the barracks to see all the contestants standing in the tunnel staring at him. They all looked shocked and their mouths were agape. Gambit pressed the button to put his armor away. He pulled his face mask and cowl off as he walked up to the woman with the rapier. “I told you on the first day, you will learn how intimidating I am. I also told you I had it covered.”

He turned away from her and started to walk towards the barracks. The other contestants parted before him.


End file.
